During those days in the sports complex of the Portuguese city Vila Real St. Antonio European Athletics is doing a test competition for the new track and field athletics program Dynamic New Athletics, which will be presented for the first time at the 2nd European Games in 2019 in Minsk. Athletes from the leading track and field teams of Portugal, as well as Spain, compete in 10 disciplines. This is mini-atlon, long jump (women), javelin throw (men), high jump (women), 100m (men and women), 110m hurdles (men), 100m hurdles (women), 4x400m mixed relay, and the hunt.

The winner of each individual event and relay is awarded 12 points, the second place – 10 points, the third – 8 points, the fourth – 6 points, the fifth – 4 points, the sixth – 2 points. Athletes and relay teams with no valid performance, disqualified or not finishing are not awarded points.

After nine events, the team scoring determines the starting positions of the tenth event – the hunt. Each point difference between the teams is equivalent to the distance gap in one meter at the start of the pursuit race. In itself, the hunt (i.e. pursuit race) is a medley race of the 800m, 600m, 400m and 200m distances. Each team in the pursuit consists of two men and two women performing in the following distribution: 800m (men) – 600m (women) – 400m (men) – 200m (women). The strongest team in pursuit becomes the winner of the competition.

Before the decisive relay race, athletes compete in several stages. At the initial stage following the decision of the European Athletics Association, athletes are divided into 2 groups, three people in each. The participant has two attempts to confront the two other athletes in his group. For each victory, the athlete receives 3 “spikes”, in the case of tie between – 1 “spike” and 0 “spikes” – for lost or foul. The amount of spikes determines the position of the athlete at the initial stage in each group. In the case of any ties between 2 or 3 athletes after the initial stage, the best is determined by the best performance. The athlete who took the third place in the “A” group performs against the athlete who took the third place in the “B” group and they are fighting for the 5^th and 6^th positions. The same scheme applies to athletes who took the second and first place in both groups.

At the same time in the high jump, athletes need to set the starting heights, not knowing the choice of rivals. This scheme of determining the heights for athletes is repeated at each new round and at each new duel. An athlete, who ordered a lower height, jumps first.

The decision to introduce the updated track and field athletics program Dynamic New Athletics at the European Games in Minsk belongs to the European Athletics Association. The main goal is to create a youth-friendly format for athletics competitions and, thus, compete with other sports for a new audience of fans.

In general, the updated format of the program will allow to preserve the intrigue until the end of the competition (the winner of the 10^th event takes all) and combines the demonstration of traditional track and field elements in a new format and in the conditions of innovative rules with an understandable scoring system and taking into account all characteristics of the athlete’s performance.

World finalists Alina Talay and Pavel Bareisha were crowned Belarusian Athletes of the Year at the fourth “ATLETIKA” Gala which was staged at the Marriott Hotel in Minsk on Thursday (11) evening.

Talay and Bareisha were both presented with bronze statuettes as recognition for their achievements in 2017. Talay won the silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March before finishing sixth in the 100m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Bareisha finished ninth in the hammer in London, three weeks before winning a silver medal at the World University Games in Taipei. He also finished second at the European Throwing Cup in Las Palmas and second at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in Lille Metropole in June.

European U23 high jump champion Dmitriy Nabokau and European U23 100m hurdles silver medallist Elvira Herman were named Belarusian U23 Athletes of the Year while European U20 champions Maksim Nedasekau (high jump) and Violetta Skvartsova (triple jump) were crowned Belarusian U20 Athletes of the Year.

In other categories, European indoor high jump bronze medallist Pavel Seliverstau was named Breakthrough Athlete of the Year while the gold medal-winning team at the European 10,000m Cup in Minsk – led by Volha Mazuronak – won the inaugural Team of the Year award.

 

Source: http://www.european-athletics.org

The hosts of  the UCI Track Cycling World Cup final round in Minsk, January 19-21, 2018, have published the team composition. 14 riders (6 men, 8 women) have been selected to represent the Belarus national team at the event. The quartet of Raman Tsishkou, Mikhail Shemetau, Yauheni Karaliok and Yauheni Akhramenka are set to ride the Men’s Team Pursuit. The substitute riders are Hardzei Tsishchanka and Kanstantsin Bialiauski.

Belarusian big hopes are tied to Yauheni Karaliok, winner of the last World Cup edition and U-23 European champion, who will compete in the Men’s Scratch. The national 4 km record holder Mikhail Shemetau will contest the Men’s Individual Pursuit event. Champion of  Belarus  Raman Tsishkou is trusted  to participate in one of the most difficult events – Men’s omnium (scratch, tempo, elimination race, points race)

Hardzei Tsishchanka will take on the Men’s Points Race. Mikhail Shemetau and Yauheni Akhramenka will team up to show their best in the Men’s Madison, event in which Belarus gradually improves its performance. Yauheni Karaliok and Raman Tsishkou are on the substitutes list. In the Women’s programme young but talented Anastasiya Dzedzikava and Hanna Tserah will line up alongside with experienced U-23 European champions and Elite European championships bronze medal winners Ina Savenka and Palina Pivavarava to race the Team Pursuit. Karalina Savenka and Katsiaryna Piatrouskaya are held in reserve.

The leader of the Belarus national team Ina Savenka is expected to have a busy race programme. She will also compete in the Women’s Omnium and Points Race. By the way, a 23-year-old rider has already got on the medal stand in both events at the U-23 European championships. Ina Savenka will also pair up with Palina Pivavarava for the Madison, a relatively new, but already very popular event in the women’s programme. Taisa Naskovich and Alena Amialiusik are ready for backup.

Hanna Tserah, a 19-year-old rider, who surprised by her sixth place in the Scratch at the last Elite European championships, will try to improve her result on the home track.

According to http://www.minskcyclingclub.by